Employment Spot

Job Description

Rackspace Hosting Named #43 on FORTUNE 2009
List of “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America


Rackspace, a world leader in hosting delivers enterprise-level managed hosting, cloud hosting, and e-mail hosting services to businesses of all types and sizes globally.� Today we serve thousands of customers from data centers around the world.� Rackspace integrates the industry's best technologies and practices for each customer's specific needs delivering it as a service via the company's commitment to Fanatical Support�. We serve as an extension of our customers' IT departments enabling them to focus on their core business. Rackspace was founded in 1998 and since then has had significant growth year after year. There are now over 2,700 Rackers employed worldwide dedicated to providing customers our premier hosting services.

We are currently seeking a Sr. Manager of Product Development to join our growing Marketing and Product department.� The Sr. Manager will be responsible for the following:

• Provides strategic leadership and direction for the overall Product Development team including Product Managers, Product Engineers and Project Managers.
• Analyzes operational processes, escalation procedures and performs training needs assessments for the Product team.
• Develops Product department procedures.
• Selects, develops, and evaluates personnel to ensure the efficient operation of the function.
• Manages Product Development functional activities for various products and contributes to overall project success.�
• Improves quality and responsiveness of Product Development staff and resources.�
• Improves interaction and service between Product Development and other functional areas of company.�
• Manages personnel activities of staff (i.e., hires, trains, appraises, rewards, motivates, disciplines, recommends termination as necessary)�
• Promotes and maintains a high quality, professional, service-oriented department and company image among Rackers, customers and vendors.
• Recommend organizational changes and improvements to better deliver against Product commitments.
• Resolve escalations regarding products and projects with leadership of partners and vendors.
• Practice servant leadership with the Product Development team.
• Provide Product Line Strategy and Roadmap guidance and inputs for various product lines.
• Mentor less senior Product Development supervisors and managers.
• Ensure team is staffed to handle the assigned projects as well as projects coming over a rolling 12 months.
• Effectively manage the teams engagement and enable the team to do their best every day.

Job Requirements

The most competitive candidate will have the following:

• Bachelor's degree in business or computer science; may have post-graduate education or training.
• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years in Product Development and/or Engineering environment with several years in Product Development and/or Engineering management.
• Excellent management skills with ability to assign and monitor work.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent knowledge of company's products and systems.
• Excellent time management, communications, decision-making, presentation, human relations, and organization skills.
• Excellent knowledge of all Product Development and/or Engineering areas.
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment.
• Strong work ethics and able to work independently and in a team environment.
• May direct the work efforts of managers and supervisors as well as individual contributors.
• Is responsible for hiring, firing, performance appraisals, and pay reviews.
• Interacts internally and externally with executive level management, requiring negotiation of extremely critical matters.�
• Influences policy making